The present invention relates to an apparatus for use of conducting analysis and observation upon a target, and in particular relates to a means for conducting transfer and positioning of a sample between plural numbers of analysis devices and observation devices (hereinafter, being called by xe2x80x9canalysis/observation devicesxe2x80x9d), in an analysis and observation apparatus comprising plural numbers of the analysis/observation devices, such as an electron microscope, a secondary ion mass spectrometer, a micro-laser mass spectrometer, etc., targeting a fine foreign body or a contamination portion, being necessary for an improvement in a yield rate of semiconductor devices, such as, a memory, a LSI including an ASIC or the like, a magnetic disc unit, and a liquid crystal, and so on.
In recent years, accompanying with an improvement in the integrity of the semiconductor devices, even a fine foreign body of sub-micron order or/and a very small amount of contaminant of several atomic layers comes up to a cause of defects. For analysis of those defects, it is necessary to analyze a size and a shape of the foreign body and contaminant, as well as, the composition and ingredient thereof. For the observation of such the fine foreign body, conventionally, an electron microscope is used. Also, as a technology or method for analyzing the fine foreign body with high sensitivity are developed a secondary ion mass spectrometer and a micro-laser mass spectrometer, in which ions generated by irradiating charged particles or a laser beam upon a fine portion on the sample are analyzed.
By the way, for investigating the source of the foreign body, in many cases, it is necessary to decide or determine by combining data obtained from those plural numbers of analysis/observation devices over all. And, for improving the quantitive analyzing of the micro-laser mass spectrometer, it is necessary to know the condition of evaporation upon the surface of the sample due to the irradiation of a laser beam. Also for this reason, it is necessary to combine the micro-laser mass spectrometer with the electron microscope, thereby achieving the observation with high level.
An example, in which the electron microscope, the secondary ion mass spectrometer and the micro-laser mass spectrometer are combined with an ion-beam processing apparatus, is described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 10-223168 (1998).
In this conventional apparatus, there are mentioned a case where an electron beam of the electron microscope and a laser beam of the micro-laser mass spectrometer are irradiated at the same position, and a case where they are irradiated at the different positions. In the former case, since the lens systems of the electron microscope and the micro-laser mass spectrometer must be disposed coaxially, the performances are restricted in the observation and the analysis.
Then, for the purpose of bringing the performances of observation and analysis thereof up to the maximum, if adopting the structure of the later, the sample must be moved between the electron microscope and the micro-laser mass spectrometer, therefore there occurs a necessity of bringing the accuracy in positioning of a sample base to be high.
As was shown exemplarily in the conventional art mentioned above, when conducting the observation through the electron microscope and the analysis through the micro-laser mass spectrometer upon the same sample, continuously, a means comes to be necessary for transfer the sample between that electron microscope and that micro-laser mass spectrometer. Judging from the sizes of the devices, in general, the distance of movement between them is several tens centimeter (cm), however, as was described in the conventional art mentioned above, the distance of movement of a sample stage and the accuracy of positioning cannot cope with each other. Then, for the purpose of improving the accuracy of positioning, according to the conventional art mentioned above, a rough-movement mechanism and a fine-movement mechanism are combined.
However, the conventional art mentioned above does not comprises a means for measuring the sample position directly. Also, since the sample is transferred within a vacuum chamber, it is also difficult to measure the distance of movement through watching the sample base from an outside.
For this reason, when positioning, it is necessary for a person who makes a measurement to search the foreign bodies while observing an image of the sample on the electron microscope or the micro-laser mass spectrometer. In particular, due to an error of a rough-movement stage, it takes a very long time when the foreign body lies in an outside of a field of vision.
An object, according to the present invention, in an analysis and observation apparatus which comprises plural numbers of analysis/observation means therein, is to provide the analysis and observation apparatus, in which a target to be analyzed and/or observed on said sample can be positioned, so that it falls within a field of vision of the analysis/observation means at the destination of the movement, when the sample is transferred between the plural numbers of analysis/observation means.
However, according to the present invention, the field of vision of the analysis/observation means indicates a field of vision of analysis/observation by said means itself, or a two (2)-dimensional area or region, which can be observed through an optical observation means to be used for setting an analysis/observation region cooperating with said means, and for example, it indicates the field of vision of a scanning-type electron microscope, or the field of vision of a camera for use in an identification of analysis position equipped on the micro-laser mass spectrometer.
And, for dissolving such the problem mentioned above, in the analysis and observation apparatus comprising the analysis/observation means in plural numbers thereof, wherein there is provided a positioning means for positioning a specific position on said sample, upon which analysis or observation was made by a certain one of the analysis/observation means, into a field of view of other analysis/observation means.